Skiing the Vishnu Shist

Kind of a thought provoking, catchy title, "Skiing the Vishnu Shist," don't you think?  Wonder what it means?  Well, the answer goes something like this... the Vishnu Shist is the oldest rock in the canyon.  It is the 8th and deepest strata down from the South Rim trailhead.  The Vishnu is Precambrian - older than life on earth - sharp edged, and very unstable... perfect for our next adventure!   Making one's way down the Vishnu in Hance Canyon is the rock equivalent of picking your way down an icy slope in ski boots.  The hand and foot holds are poor.  You can't count on any anchor to hold you in place.  Sometimes everything lets go and the only thing left to do is 'ski the Vishnu.'

Fortunately, the assault team brought ample supplies of Testosterone and Viagra.   And didn't use it all up on the previous day doing the Redwall.   Hance Canyon offers a great combination of scenic beauty, challenging bouldering, scree walking, and a distinct final objective - the Colorado River.  Needless to say, there are no trails, though there is ample evidence that other adventure hikers have made the climb down.  The magnet of the Colorado River is so strong that people do crazy things just to say they made it to the River,... this band of misfits included.

Getting to the drop-off spot at Hance canyon takes the team from our previous night's rest spot at Cottonwood Creek along the Tonto trail east, around the two prongs of Horseshoe Mesa.  It's pretty spectacular looking up at the mesa towering 1,200 ft above the Tonto plateau... then reality hits, "hey, we're about to ski 1,200 ft down to the Colorado, scramble back up, then hike with full packs up another 1,200 ft to our last camp spot on Horseshoe... the final leg in the dark!  What were we thinking (or was it smoking)?"

Again, this is a day-hike not to be missed by the adventuresome hiker.  One word of warning: there are many ways down and up the Vishnu, but only one way through the Tapeats strata underlying the Tonto plateau leading to the Vishnu.  Look for monuments and markers pointing the way.

Camping is permitted everywhere along the Tonto trail... but there is no water.  Our solution was to extend the day and push back up to Horseshoe Mesa after dark.  Though this move rates eight knuckleheads out of a possible ten, it was the 'right' answer for us, as the tradeoff was to climb an extra 1,200 ft the next day on our way out.   That thought alone was motivation enough for us to make the perilous night climb up a steep, narrow trail to Horseshoe... definitely not OSHA approved.

Day 3 Hike Agenda